GENRE
	Adventure
	DEVELOPER
	Telltale Games
	PUBLISHER
	The Adventure Company
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1
	WI-FI ENHANCED
	No
	DS COMPATIBLE
	No
	BUY NOW AT

When members of an old-time sitcom seem obsessed with a new video fad, it looks like nothing more than the unfortunate ramblings of a few former child stars. Enter Sam and Max, "Freelance Police" who learn that it's just the tip of a massive hypnotic iceberg that threatens all of humanity. A crazy duo needs a crazy setup, but this game combines some classic and clever themes with an outstanding sense of humor to create one great adventure.

visuals

Sam & Max maneuver in a mostly three-dimensional world. While players do not have full 360 degree camera control, Sam has mostly free reign of his environment. It's as if Sam and his friends are on a Hollywood set, with a couple of cameras that follow the action. Players will never feel limited, and each locale provides plenty of interactivity.

The treat is in the design, as if a hard-boiled noir was dipped in a highlighter. It's definitely comic book, but with a nostalgic nod to the great cop dramas of old. Only a few jagged edges interrupt the wonderfully stylized arena that keeps to its source material while creating a fun and satirical world. Even Sam's appeal as a character is in his personal blend of these genres. He wears a suit and tie, along with an awkwardly sized fedora... all of this on top of the almost forgotten visual joke: he's a dog, and his partner's a rabbit.

audio

Both the main characters are voiced perfectly. Sam speaks in an undoubtedly serious tone -- a police tone -- but with an intelligently sarcastic comment at every turn. Max is equally unruly, somewhere between a child and a maniac, but subdued just enough to be only partially harmful to those around him.

The two play off each other wonderfully in both substance and technique. Their interactions may well become classics in gaming geekdom, and their lines never feel recorded or spliced. Everything is a joke, but it always seems to work in context. It almost feels like a continued gag that Sam can even put up with Max. They are essentially two parts of one person, left brain and right: Sam -- the logic, wit, and reason; Max -- the violence, impulsiveness, and irreverence. Supporting characters are done just as well, particularly the high-pitched Hugh Bliss and the often humorously disguised Bosco. Altogether, the results are hilarious and create a game as much fun to sit back and watch as it is to play.

If it weren't for the voices, the music may just as easily steal the audio spotlight. A jazzy background mixes with various comedic tunes and some fun arrangements of classics. It's just another fine layer on a game superbly constructed for the senses.

gameplay

It's hard to ignore the comedy, but Sam & Max is still, at its heart, a classic point-and-click mystery. With the IR pointer of the Wii Remote, players examine their environments, searching for objects and communicating with people to solve various crimes. The game is split into six "episodes," each with its own storyline but all part of one continuous arc. Most of the play is spent speaking with other characters looking for ways to get what is needed or learn vital details. In this way, the classic adventure system is set.

While it almost sounds old, there's rarely a boring moment in Sam & Max. The sheer enjoyment of the conversations makes every moment enjoyable, but the adventure aspects are also quite good. Most tasks are solved by first exploring the world immediately around Sam and Max, including their office, Bosco's Inconvenience Store, and Sybil's shop.

Bosco is constantly paranoid, so he creates a number of weapons and gadgets that Sam and Max need to progress. To get these, the detectives usually need to engage in some quest to raise a massive amount of money, which is often one of the first puzzles to be solved. Sybil, on the other hand, is constantly changing professions, and her varying knowledge is usually essential to Sam and Max's success.

It might sound like a cheap trick to create multiple stages on limited ideas, but it actually creates an amusing backdrop to each case. While the means of winning are often similar in pattern, they are different in practice, and each puzzle stands on its own with a few stumpers. They may not be the most difficult the genre has seen, and many can be solved with perseverance alone, but solutions make sense. Any mistakes just lead to additional amusement that might have otherwise been missed, but never does the game fall into that trap of non-sensible pixel hunting or unintelligible randomness. A bit easy perhaps, but every bit satisfying.

multiplayer

While it has no traditional multiplayer option, Sam & Max lends itself well to multiple minds working together to solve the puzzles and laugh at the constant humor.

overall

The classic adventure game is a dying genre. Fortunately, it has been dying for at least a decade with plenty of fine efforts along the way. While Wii hasn't led to quite the renaissance wished by fans, it has surprised with an entry here and there to keep hope alive. But as Zack & Wiki proved, the real surprise is the quality capable in these titles.

Sam & Max: Season One may just be the best. It's a smooth, smart point-and-click, simple when appropriate, perplexing when needed, and quite possibly the funniest game you'll ever play.

8.9/10